An altcoin season or altseason is when cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin — like Ethereum, Solana and smaller alts — start outperforming BTC in returns.
It usually begins once Bitcoin’s big rally cools down and traders look for higher-risk, higher-reward plays.
What Causes an Altseason?
- Bitcoin stabilizes: BTC dominance peaks and begins to drop.
- Liquidity rotation: Investors take profits from BTC and move them into alts.
- Market confidence: Strong sentiment, narratives and new launches drive alt rallies.
When Did Major Altseasons Happen Before?
The biggest ones were:
- 2017–18: ETH and early alts exploded after BTC peaked.
- 2021: DeFi, NFTs, and meme coins took off once Bitcoin slowed.
Altcoin Season 2025 — Are We Close?
Let’s look at a few key charts 👇
TOTAL3 — Altcoin Market Cap (Excluding BTC & ETH)
CMC Altcoin Season Index — 47/100
Bitcoin Dominance (BTC.D)
Simple Checklist to Spot a Real Altseason
- BTC dominance trending down
- TOTAL2 and TOTAL3 pushing upper Bollinger bands
- Altcoin Index rising above 75
- Mid-caps and meme coins starting to move together
If all four line up — you’re likely in the early or mid-stage of altseason.
What the 2025 Altcoin Season Could Mean
The charts show an interesting setup: Bitcoin dominance is softening, TOTAL2 and TOTAL3 are pressing against key resistances and the Altcoin Season Index is at 47/100, showing the market may be warming up — but not fully there yet.
If these trends continue and liquidity keeps rotating into altcoins, 2025 could mark the next strong phase for crypto beyond Bitcoin.
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